The goal of this proposal is to develop nonnucleoside molecules which will be clinically useful against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This proposal seeks funding through The Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award program to support collaborative work by Professor Grace Karminski-Zamola of the University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia and Professor David W. Boykin of Georgia State University. Professor Boykin is P.I. of an NIH NCDDG/AIDS group (AI27196). Specifically, Professor Karminski-Zamola proposes to synthesize bulky aryl intercalators which are expected, based upon data from Boykin's laboratory, to preferentially bind to the viral RNA-DNA duplex in the cytoplasm of HIV Infected cells. The structures of the compounds indicated for synthesis were carefully selected based upon anti-viral and RNA-DNA binding results on related compounds from Boykin's laboratory and based upon the synthetic strength of Professor Karminski-Zamola. Much of the synthetic work is based upon methodology currently ongoing in Professor Karminski-Zamola's laboratory. Compounds synthesized by Professor Karminski-Zamola's laboratory will be evaluated by the Biological Core of our NCDDG for anti-viral selectivity and by the Biophysical Core of our NCDDG for preferred binding to the RNA-DNA heteroduplex.